Making a custom magic item?

[Nicrosil]

So, we the PC's just saved the world, and we're getting access to a magic item (low power campaign). Our rogue has been feeling a bit... redundant. I'm trying to help him, since there's a pretty long break between that session and next. I worked out that next level, we can deal Ultimate Cosmic DamageTM (13d6 of bonus damage a round, to be exact.)

Only problem is, I know that our next few sessions will be undead heavy, and undead happen to be immune to sneak attack. So we've been looking into ways to get around that. Right now our plan is to retrain him to get the Death's Ruin ACF, which lets him sneak attack at half damage. But, I had a brainwave.

Remember those magic items I mentioned? We can pick what they are, and I was thinking of getting him a continuous Grave Strike custom item. I have no idea how much it will cost though. If I'm reading the SRD right, it's spell level * caster level * 2,000 gold. Spell level is 1, but what's the caster level? Keep in mind that the Grave Strike item might be a quest reward and come cost free, but I want to know if it would be appropriate for level 9 characters.

[Red Fel]

Greater Truedeath Crystal (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ps/20070209a). It's a weapon augment crystal that deals 1d6 bonus damage to undead, functions as a Ghost Touch weapon, and allows sneak attacks and critical hits against undead as if they were alive. It costs 10,000 gp, is always active, and affixes to a weapon to make Rogues happy.

[LTwerewolf]

A few things:

1)Penetrating strike deals half sneak attack damage to anything immune to it, and all you're giving up is trap sense.
2)You can get a level 1 cleric to help and then the item would be 1*1*2000.
3)Truedeath crystal can accomplish this specifically vs undead, and there's a version for constructs as well.


edit: swordsaged.

[Nicrosil]

Thanks for responding. I've looked into a Truedeath crystal, but it's a bit pricy for our party. We've been playing the War of Everlasting Darkness, roughly booted to 3.5, and instead of gold we got buffs to attack, saves, and AC every now and ten when we leveled up. I haven't got a straight answer out of him about how much gold we should have; right now I have like 750, but I haven't been payed for the last two sessions yet.

So, I guess my real question is is a Greater Truedeath Crystal appropriate for a 9th level character? These magic items are quest rewards; I was able to get a Mithral Full Plate of Speed. If not, I thought a continuous Grave Strike item would be better.

[Red Fel]

So, I guess my real question is is a Greater Truedeath Crystal appropriate for a 9th level character? These magic items are quest rewards; I was able to get a Mithral Full Plate of Speed. If not, I thought a continuous Grave Strike item would be better.

Mithral Full Plate of Speed (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicArmor.htm#mithralFullPlateofSpeed) has a market value of 26,500 gp. A Greater Truedeath Crystal costs 10,000.

It's up to your DM, of course, but I'm pretty sure that asking for a reward that costs half the price of someone else's is eminently reasonable.

[Nicrosil]

Oh. Well then. I'll bug him about it. :smallbiggrin:

But let's say the rogue wants a different quest reward magic item. How much would a continuous Grave Strike item cost?

[Oddman80]

According to the SRD'S rules for creating custom items:

a continuous item has an effect based on a spell with a duration measured in rounds, multiply the cost by 4. If the duration of the spell is 1 minute/level, multiply the cost by 2, and if the duration is 10 minutes/level, multiply the cost by 1.5. If the spell has a 24-hour duration or greater, divide the cost in half.

The base continuous item cost was 1 (spell level) x 1 (caster level) x 2000 gp = 2000 gp

The gravestrike spell is measured in rounds, though, so it will require a x4 cost multiplier for it to be continuous. So this makes it 8000 gp.

Now due to body slot affinities, it is most likely to be a guantlet or a shoulder slot item... If it uses a body slot that it does not have an affinity for, it will be another 1.5 times the cost.

Or you could make it spotless for 2x cost, but now you are in the 12-16 thousand gold range which is more expensive than the weapon crystal (and the weapon crystal doesn't use up a body slot.

An alternate option (if the rogue can make a DC 15 UMD check), would be to just get a weapon that has 3 wand chambers, and each one is filled with a separate wand - one of grave strike, one of vine strike, and one of golem strike. Each wand is valued at 750 gp. The wand chambers are 100 gold each. Now, as a swift action, at the beginning of his turn he activates the applicable wand, and SNEAK ATTACKS away. Total price = 2550 gp. (wand refills, 50 charges = 750 gold)

But honestly, the Greater Truedeath Crystal is the best option. And given the loot you received, the rogue should also get a weapon crystal that allows sneak attack damage on plants and constructs (an extra 6000 gp/each). That would bring the total value to 22,000 gp, which is still less than you got. He would just need to spend a round switching out the weapon crystals before entering combat, to make sure he was using the right one.

[Nicrosil]

Awesome. Thanks Oddman!

[Seruvius]

one important fact not mentioned so far with the crystal: the greater truedeath is as name implies a greater crystal and can only be affixed to a magic weapon with a +3 enhancment or better. that is a flat +3, not +1 and effects that add at least +2 price wise. so while a greater truedeath is awesome and versatile, the 18'000 for the +3 enhancement makes it a bit pricy, but 28'000 is not that far off your plate mail the dm was going to give you so maybe.